Monday, March 11, 2013

Aesthetics in Design

This is the one criteria about design that we love but it's also the trickiest one, because we fall easily for it and sometimes makes us forget about function and materiality.There is not formula or standard for aesthetics... it really is in the eye of the beholder.

Despite that, there are general ideas of what constitutes good aesthetics of objects, buildings and graphics out there. Aesthetics and beauty concepts have changed over time as a Baroque interior today might not be as appreciated as a modern one... But in its time and place, just like Versailles, it is the most aesthetically pleasing space you can think of.

We define aesthetics by the reactions we have to what we experience {feel and see mostly} and if those reactions are of pleasure or dislike. These reactions when experienced by a number of people become a style, a fashion or even a philosophy.

Designers use functionality and materials to shape the aesthetic value of something. It is up to the designer to decide what type of reaction he desires his designs to have and up to what level to combine these 3 criteria. So, in an ideal world all of them would be in perfect balance where they have a well defined function, the materials support that function and the aesthetic value creates the desired reaction in people.

9 comments:

Your posts on design are always really interesting. It's funny to think how quickly our aesthetics can change depending on fashion - what was considered "a good look" even a decade ago might now be looked at with bemusement or even horror, wondering "what were we thinking"... ;-) Have a good week xo